Cedric Tillman vols touchdown
Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

One of the keys to Tennessee maintaining its incredible offensive numbers of 2023 is strong-armed quarterback Joe Milton successfully replacing Hendon Hooker.

Another? The Vols must fill the holes left by prolific wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman, who were drafted with the 73rd and 74th overall picks, respectively, by the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in April.

Despite an injury that limited Tillman to six games last season, the two players wound up combining for huge career numbers, 217 catches for 3,391 yards and 36 touchdowns. Hyatt led the Vols last season with 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 18.9 yards per catch.

Two of the leading candidates to up their contributions in 2023 are redshirt senior Bru McCoy and sophomore Squirrel White.

The 6-3, 220-pound McCoy, a transfer from USC, was the Vols’ second-leading receiver in 2022, catching 52 passes for 667 yards and four touchdowns. He started all 12 games he played in, topping the 100-yard mark three times and making five catches of 30 yards or more.

Milton says there’s more to come from McCoy, a five-star prep recruit at Mater Dei High in California.

“There's a lot of things you haven't seen from Bru,” Milton said Thursday at SEC Media Days in Nashville. “He's a different person than he was last year. I feel like that's everybody on Tennessee's team. We're different from last year.

“The more explosive plays from him — pretty much anything you can name, Bru can do. Whatever it takes, Bru is going to get it done. He also lets me know that pretty much every day.”

The 5-10, 165-pound White put on a show in the Vols’ Orange Bowl victory over Clemson last season, catching nine passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. An exceptionally speedy receiver, White posted six catches of 40-plus yards last season, tied for the most among FBS freshmen.

He wound up with 30 catches for 481 yards (16-yard average) and two touchdowns.

“Young player that we knew was going to play at a really high level when given the opportunity,” Vols coach Josh Heupel said of White. “It's been great to see him grow from a quiet young kid that came on the campus to somebody that's got a ton of personality and energy and affects his teammates in positive ways.

“Great work habits, is tough as they come. From day one, he's willing to stick his face into anything and be extremely physical and complete really hard. He's got elite speed, great ball skills, has the ability to be a great route runner. Anticipate him having a great year. You guys saw him perform really well in the Orange Bowl.”

The Vols finished fifth in the nation last year with 326.1 passing yards per game, and tied for sixth with 38 touchdown passes.

But Heupel reiterated Thursday it’s the Vols’ success on the ground that keys everything.

Tennessee returns its top three running backs from last season — Jaylen Wright (146 carries, 892 yards, 10 touchdowns); Jabari Small (157 carries, 746 yards, 13 touchdowns); and Dylan Sampson (58 carries, 411 yards, six touchdowns).

“I think people get caught up in the perimeter numbers and the quarterback development and the quarterback numbers that are out there,” Heupel said. “Everybody that studies it understands that the secret to our sauce is the ability to run the football.

“[Offensive line coach Glen Elarbee] and I have been together, I think we are going on year eight now, three different stops. He does an unbelievable job from game plan to fundamentals to teaching overall scheme and concepts on the other side of the ball.

“Our guys continue to grow from year one to year two. They play synchronized in the tempo that we play at, the ability to communicate and get everybody on the same page. He does an unbelievable job.”